roadside plants

I recorded some plants present along the side of the main road to the south east, as far as the parish border this morning. Part of the roadside is lined with hedges, part has a broad verge (now overgrown with bracken) in front of the edge, and part is a woodland edge.

Seedlings of the following trees were observed - sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), horse-chestnut (Aesculus hippocastaneum), hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), ash (Fraxinus excelsior), oak (Quercus robur) and elder (Sambucus nigra). This is the first confirmation of non-planted specimens of hawthorn, which will be added to the list.

Other plants observed were yarrow (Achillea millefolium), ground elder (Aegopodum podagraria), garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris), knapweed (Centaurea nigra), field thistle (Cirsium arvense), a leopardsbane (Doronicum sp.), cleavers (Galium aparine), herb robert (Geranium robertianum) including the white-flowered form, ivy (Hedera helix), hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium), a hawkweed (Hieracium sp.), white dead-nettle (Lamium album), meadow vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis), a bird's foot trefoil (Lotus sp.), bistort (Persicaria bistorta), ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata), creeping cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans), field buttercup (Ranunculus acris), creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens), a rose (Rosa sp.), bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.), sorrel (Rumex acetosa), broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius), common ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), groundsel (Senecio vulgaris), prickly sow-thistle (Sonchus asper), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale agg.), goatsbeard (Tragopogon pratensis), red clover (Trifolium pratense), nettle (Urtica dioica), and a vetch (Vicia sp.).

These represent the first observations (this year) of Lathyrus pratensis, Persicaria bistorta, Potentilla reptans, Sonchus asper and Tragopogon pratensis. Although Centaurea nigra has been noted earlier this year, it hasn't been documented in this blog previously, and also will be added to the list.

There was also a yellow cichorioid daisy, of a type unfamiliar to me. I suspect that it is a hawk's beard (Crepis sp.).